SSRN Author: Shiran Victoria ShenShiran Victoria Shen SSRN Contenthttps://www.ssrn.com/author=2375892
https://www.ssrn.com/rss/en-usSun, 15 Sep 2019 01:12:09 GMTeditor@ssrn.com (Editor)Sun, 15 Sep 2019 01:12:09 GMTwebmaster@ssrn.com (WebMaster)SSRN RSS Generator 1.0REVISION: The Political Pollution CycleIncentives shape political behavior. This paper shows that even after controlling for institutional factors and macro trends, local policy implementation in autocracies like China can change over time in potentially predictive ways. Studying the critical case of air pollution control policies, I advance a theory of what I call the “political pollution cycle” to fathom the effect of political incentives on local policy implementation over time. I theorize that local leaders cater to the policy prioritization of the center and, in the process, foster systematic regional patterns of air quality over time. Using remote sensing, box modeling, observational data, and qualitative field research, I find that top prefectural leaders in China ordered laxer regulation of pollution towards the end of their tenure so that the delivery of social stability and economic achievements boded well for their career advancement. Such regulatory forbearance came unintentionally with tremendous human costs. https://www.ssrn.com/abstract=2822922
https://www.ssrn.com/1824076.htmlSat, 14 Sep 2019 09:04:57 GMTNew: Pricing Carbon to Contain ViolenceViolence is destructive to social order, economic growth, and the human condition. The annual total cost of violence is estimated to be 11 percent of the world’s GDP. However, violence has rarely made its way into economic models. In the meantime, increasing scientific evidence points to an active link between climate change and the incidence of interpersonal and intergroup violence. This study connects the climate–economy and the climate–violence systems by putting forth a new method to internalize the costs of climate-induced violence in the established MERGE integrated assessment model. It finds that such internalization can double the optimal carbon price, a relationship that holds across different specifications regarding climate sensitivity, GDP growth rate, and the willingness to pay (WTP) to avoid nonmarket climate damages. Normatively, under the realistic assumption that the WTP is at 1 percent of regional income, the avoided costs from climate-induced violence in ... https://www.ssrn.com/abstract=3408836
https://www.ssrn.com/1801765.htmlWed, 26 Jun 2019 16:40:17 GMTREVISION: The Political Pollution CycleBuilding on the stylized fact that incentives shape political behavior, this paper shows that even after controlling for institutional factors and macro trends, local policy implementation in autocracies like China can change over time. Studying the critical case of air pollution control policies to fathom the effect of political incentives on local policy implementation over time, I advance a theory of what I call the “political pollution cycle.” I theorize that local leaders cater to the policy prioritization of the central leader and in the process foster systematic regional patterns of air quality over time. Using remote sensing, box modeling, observational data, and qualitative field research, I find that top prefectural leaders in China ordered laxer regulation of pollution towards the end of their tenure so that the delivery of social stability and economic achievements boded well for their career advancement. Such strategic implementation came unintentionally with tremendous ... https://www.ssrn.com/abstract=2822922
https://www.ssrn.com/1783284.htmlSun, 28 Apr 2019 09:19:41 GMTREVISION: Public Receptivity in China Towards Wind Energy Generators: A Survey Experimental ApproachChina leads the world’s wind energy market, but little has been written about public receptivity towards wind energy generators in China. To fill this gap, we pursue a survey experimental approach to examine explanations for receptivity based on evidence from OECD countries as well as the importance of public knowledge in augmenting public acceptance of wind energy generators in China. We find that Chinese respondents are sensitive to siting near their residences, to cost considerations when imposed on them directly, to wildlife externalities, and to noise from turbines. Interestingly, Chinese respondents seem to be concerned about radiation, a finding unprecedented in the literature, and are less assured by scientific assurances that radiation is not a problem. Instead, the Chinese central government is best suited to address concerns about this topic. Targeted information provision to the public can improve public knowledge about aspects of wind energy of concern. Hence, the ... https://www.ssrn.com/abstract=3162794
https://www.ssrn.com/1780937.htmlThu, 18 Apr 2019 21:29:00 GMTUpdate: Public Receptivity in China Towards Wind Energy Generators: A Survey Experimental ApproachChina leads the world’s wind energy market, but little has been written about public receptivity towards wind energy generators in China. To fill this gap, we pursue a survey experimental approach to examine explanations for receptivity based on evidence from OECD countries as well as the importance of public knowledge in augmenting public acceptance of wind energy generators in China. We find that Chinese respondents are sensitive to siting near their residences, to cost considerations when imposed on them directly, to wildlife externalities, and to noise from turbines. Interestingly, Chinese respondents seem to be concerned about radiation, a finding unprecedented in the literature, and are less assured by scientific assurances that radiation is not a problem. Instead, the Chinese central government is best suited to address concerns about this topic. Targeted information provision to the public can improve public knowledge about aspects of wind energy of concern. Hence, the ...<br/><i>The Paper was removed</i> https://www.ssrn.com/abstract=3162794
https://www.ssrn.com/1766874.htmlWed, 27 Feb 2019 15:52:28 GMTNew: Using Machine Learning to Find Environmentally At-Risk CommunitiesEnvironmental health persists as a genuine concern in many US localities. However, public agencies often face limited capacity and resources to collect comprehensive environmental health data. Inspired by CalEnviroScreen, an environmental health assessment tool used to identify environmentally at-risk communities in California, I calculate pollution burden scores at the census tract level for the entire contiguous United States. Pollution burden is a composite score that encompasses 12 environmental (air, water, waste) indicators. I combine the actual pollution burden indicator data with predicted statistics using machine learning. I create an interactive, publicly accessible National Pollution Burden Map using ArcGIS Online. Although applied to US states, the same approach can also be applied to other regions of the world. https://www.ssrn.com/abstract=3329557
https://www.ssrn.com/1765731.htmlFri, 22 Feb 2019 11:51:45 GMTREVISION: Public Receptivity in China Towards Wind Energy Generators: A Survey Experimental ApproachChina leads the world’s wind energy market, but little has been written about public receptivity towards wind energy generators in China. To fill this gap, we pursue a survey experimental approach to examine explanations for receptivity based on evidence from OECD countries as well as the importance of public knowledge in augmenting public acceptance of wind energy generators in China. We find that Chinese respondents are sensitive to siting near their residences, to cost considerations when imposed on them directly, to wildlife externalities, and to noise from turbines. Interestingly, Chinese respondents seem to be concerned about radiation, a finding unprecedented in the literature, and are less assured by scientific assurances that radiation is not a problem. Instead, the Chinese central government is best suited to address concerns about this topic. Targeted information provision to the public can improve public knowledge about aspects of wind energy of concern. Hence, the ... https://www.ssrn.com/abstract=3162794
https://www.ssrn.com/1760807.htmlMon, 04 Feb 2019 11:04:11 GMTREVISION: The Political Pollution CycleBuilding on the stylized fact that incentives shape political behavior, this paper shows that even after controlling for institutional factors and macro trends, local policy implementation in autocracies like China can change over time. Studying the critical case of air pollution control policies to fathom the effect of political incentives on local policy implementation over time, I advance a theory of what I call the “political pollution cycle.” I theorize that local leaders cater to the policy prioritization of the central leader and in the process foster systematic regional patterns of air quality over time. Using remote sensing, box modeling, observational data, and qualitative field research, I find that top prefectural leaders in China ordered laxer regulation of pollution towards the end of their tenure so that the delivery of social stability and economic achievements boded well for their career advancement. Such strategic implementation came unintentionally with tremendous ... https://www.ssrn.com/abstract=2822922
https://www.ssrn.com/1760806.htmlMon, 04 Feb 2019 11:01:46 GMTREVISION: The Political Pollution CycleBuilding on the principal-agent (P-A) tradition with more recent insights, this paper challenges the implicit assumption in existing P-A models that the level of local compliance in autocracies like China is constant over time. Studying the critical case of air pollution control policies to fathom the effect of political incentives on policy implementation over time, I advance a theory of what I call the “political pollution cycle.” I theorize that local agents cater to the policy prioritization of the principal and in the process foster systematic regional patterns of air quality over time. Using remote sensing, box modeling, observational data, and qualitative field research, I find that top prefectural leaders in China ordered laxer regulation of pollution towards the end of their tenure so that the delivery of economic achievements and social stability boded well for their career advancement. Such strategic implementation came unintentionally with tremendous human costs. https://www.ssrn.com/abstract=2822922
https://www.ssrn.com/1730475.htmlSun, 14 Oct 2018 09:41:29 GMTREVISION: Public Receptivity in China Towards Wind Energy Generators: A Survey Experimental ApproachChina leads the world’s wind energy market, but little has been written about public receptivity towards wind energy generators in China. To fill this gap, we pursue a survey experimental approach to examine explanations based on evidence from OECD countries as well as the importance of public knowledge in augmenting public acceptance of wind energy generators in China. We find that Chinese respondents are sensitive to siting near their residences, to cost considerations when imposed on them directly, to wildlife externalities, and to noise from turbines. Interestingly, Chinese respondents seem to be concerned about radiation, a finding unprecedented in the literature, and are less assured by scientific assurances that radiation is not a problem. Instead, the Chinese government is best suited to address concerns about this topic. Targeted information provision to the public can improve public knowledge about aspects of wind energy of concern. Hence, China can possibly pursue a ... https://www.ssrn.com/abstract=3162794
https://www.ssrn.com/1729798.htmlThu, 11 Oct 2018 11:37:00 GMTREVISION: The Political Pollution CycleBuilding on the principal-agent (P-A) tradition with more recent insights, this paper challenges the implicit assumption in existing P-A models that the level of local compliance in autocracies like China is constant over time. Studying the critical case of air pollution control policies to fathom the effect of political incentives on policy implementation over time, I advance a theory of what I call the “political pollution cycle.” I theorize that local agents cater to the policy prioritization of the principal and in the process foster systematic regional patterns of air quality over time. Using remote sensing, box modeling, observational data, and qualitative field research, I find that top prefectural leaders in China ordered laxer regulation of pollution towards the end of their tenure so that the delivery of economic achievements and social stability boded well for their career advancement. Such strategic implementation came unintentionally with tremendous human costs. https://www.ssrn.com/abstract=2822922
https://www.ssrn.com/1725433.htmlSun, 23 Sep 2018 21:52:49 GMT